BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to providing an electrical power connection to electronic computer subsystems. More specifically, the invention establishes a power connection automatically when a subsystem is inserted into a computer main chassis.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to provide power to electronic subsystems installed in a computer chassis an electrical connection must be established between the computer""s power distribution board and the subsystem. Until now, this connection has been provided by power docking connectors that interface between the power pads of the distribution board and bus bars attached to the subsystem. Other designers have solved the power connection problem by designing their power distribution boards and bus bars around commercially available docking connectors. These conventional connectors usually require the bus bars to be oriented and inserted perpendicular to the power distribution board.
The conventional commercially available connecting system is generally composed of a molded plastic housing, that contains louver contacts and a metal plate. When the bus bars are connected, the electrical resistance points are: bus bars-to-louvers-to-metal plate-to-power pads.
There are two main disadvantages to this conventional approach: 1) The bus bars and the power distribution board are constrained to be in a defined orientation with respect to each other, and 2) there are multiple electrical interfaces (contact resistance points) between the bus bars, docking connectors, and power distribution board.
Therefore, a power bus bar connection that establishes an automatic power connection when the subsystem is inserted into the computer chassis and that will operate given the orientation of the bus bar/power distribution board would be desirable. Furthermore, a power bus bar connection that provides less contact resistance than currently available designs would also be desirable.
The present invention provides an automatic power docking mechanism for establishing a power connection between a computer electronic subsystem and a power distribution board within a computer chassis. In one embodiment, the power docking mechanism includes power pads electrically coupled to a power distribution board and a housing with slotted openings secured over the power pads. The housing""s slotted openings are configured to receive power bus bars from a computer subsystem and hold the bus bars in contact with the power pads.